The present invention relates generally to computer implemented training systems and, more particularly, to a computerized training system that gauges a student's learning strengths and adapts presentation of the subject matter to be taught in accordance to the student's learning strengths.
Today is the age of information. In the future, it is said that a nation's security and economic prosperity will be defined by its ability to produce skilled and educated workers; the so-called “knowledge worker.” The development of an educated knowledge worker population is the goal and responsibility of education and training organizations. Unfortunately, today's institutions are failing to meet the educational needs of society. Economic pressures force students out of schools and into the workforce without the proper foundation to be a productive part of an information society. In order to meet the demands for education and training in the coming century, several significant challenges relative to the quality and availability of education must be addressed. These challenges include: coping with an expanding demand for educational opportunities; providing quality educational experiences with a limited set of resources; increasing the efficiency of training in order to maximize return and minimize the individual investment; and decentralizing educational opportunities in order to meet the needs of individuals in remote locations. Further, with the rate of scientific and technological change increasing exponentially, education/training providers must find more effective ways to deal with knowledge obsolescence and the need for continually re-educating the existing workforce. One solution is the use of computer-based learning or tutorial programs.
Interactive, computer-based learning programs are well-known in the art. Typically, a learning program presents information to a student at the student's own pace; then, follow-up quizzes or exams covering the course material or information are given to determine the student's understanding or mastery of the subject matter.
Various types of learning approaches are provided in these learning programs. Selected learning programs present the material starting with a foundation in the subject matter to enable the user to understand more complex matters as the training progresses. Other selected learning programs require the student to have a certain level of comprehension or foundation in the material prior to proceeding with the new information. These programs begin by presenting problems to the student and offer instruction only after the student completes the assignment. In either event, if the student has difficulty in learning and that difficulty can be traced to the teaching style, then the student may not learn or master the new material even after repeated presentations of the same.
The prior systems, however, require that the teacher or content author prepare the course material, which is usually presented in a manner consistent with the teacher's own teaching style or that provided by the learning program. The teaching or lesson format is limited to the one style, whether from the author or the program. Thus, should a student need to review unmastered material, the format is still in a format incompatible with the student's best learning style. Any review of information will not be as productive to the student since the student failed to comprehend the information the first time and the second presentation of the same material in the same format stands little success of improving the student's comprehension.
Accordingly, what is lacking is a learning program that is capable of operating in a network enterprise that can present the same subject matter to at least one student or more in accordance with the learning styles strengths of that student. Further, what is needed is a computer aided learning program that enables the author of the lesson material to select various different teaching options to be presented to one or more students and for the program to select those options most appropriate for the strengths of each student.